True Colour
by PhoenixFalls
Summary: Tumblr prompt: "Colourblind Soulmate AU! Where you're completely colourblind until you meet your soulmate." No one works for the BAU AU. Jemily one-shot


There was a condition that afflicted a small percentage of the global population where the rods and cones in their eyes would be no different than those of a typically healthy person, but they still experienced total colourblindness—monochromatic vision. No one was sure if it was genetic, though Emily Prentiss had the suspicion she'd inherited it from her mother's side as her Great-Aunt Sadie had had it.

Some people lived with the greyscale vision their whole lives, while some people spontaneously had perfect colour vision restored at some point in their lives. Studies had shown that those who gained regular colour vision always did so after meeting someone who also had monochromatic vision, though not even science could figure out why.

Because almost all of the people who gained colour vision in their life ended up being romantically attached to the person they saw when they gained normal colour, there was a widespread belief—though it tweaked slightly depending on the culture—that the people were soulmates. Science, however, said that what was really going on was that people who gained colour simply imprinted the literally life-changing experience onto the first person they saw when it happened. They did not, however, have an explanation for why the only time someone with monochromatic vision gained colour was when they saw someone else who had the same condition who then _also_ gained colour vision.

Because of that, the "soulmate theory" persisted throughout human history. The condition hadn't been diagnosed in Emily until she was a toddler. At first, they'd thought she'd just had some regular sort of colourblindness as she would mix up colours close together, but when her parents had taken her to get her eyes checked and not only was there nothing wrong, but she had perfect vision otherwise, she had been diagnosed as having Monochromatic Colourblindness Not Otherwise Specified.

Since Emily had never seen anything differently than shades of grey and black and white her whole life, she didn't think it really hindered her in any way, outside of not being legally allowed to drive at night. It wasn't like she'd had a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot or an astronaut. She could guess what colours were _supposed_ to be for the most part, though she still sometimes asked someone what colour something was, especially while clothes shopping. She also had an intellectual understanding of what colours were supposed to look good together, but she always got annoyed when someone found out she had MC-NOS and then insisted on holding things up and asking her what colour they were.

Emily pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned back in her office chair. Because she could speak half a dozen languages with fluent ease and her academic background in languages, finding a job as a book translator had been pretty easy, but it was hard work staring at a computer screen all day.

Stretching and yawning, she pushed herself away from her desk and decided to go for a walk. The best part about working from home was that she could take breaks whenever she felt like it. Spring in Chicago usually felt like Winter Part Two, but the day was unseasonably warm with a cool breeze and nearly all the snow that had fallen a few days ago was melted so it would be a nice day for a walk. Her phone buzzed in her pocket just as she got up to get her shoes and she sank down onto her couch to check and see who it was.

Emily smiled at seeing Jennifer Jareau's name on the screen. They'd been paired up randomly when playing online Scrabble a few years ago and it had been one of the hardest games Emily had played made more enjoyable by the conversations they had during in the sites accompanying chat window. They played games together for months before exchanging Facebook details and then phone numbers. Despite the fact that they had never met in person in the four years they'd known each other, Emily considered JJ one of her best friends.

 _*Wtf does "je veux faire brouter le cresson" mean? I put it in a translator and it just says some crap about eating watercress?*_ the message read.

Emily snorted a laugh as she replied: * _Um WHO are you talking to, Jennifer?*_

Instead of a reply text, her phone rang, JJ's profile picture from Facebook popping up on the screen. Emily didn't answer it right away, taking a second to, not for the first time, admire how beautiful her friend was. She cleared her throat and engaged the call. "Do I even want to know?" she said by way of greeting.

"Tell me what it means!" JJ's voice demanded laughingly. "It's something gross, isn't it?"

"That depends?"

"On what?"

"On whether or not you want the person who told you that to go down on you?"

"Oh for fucks sake!" JJ exclaimed. "God! Remember the cute French guy I met at the bar last week? I gave him my number and I am _intensely_ regretting it."

"What's wrong with the cute French guy?" Emily asked curiously, leaning back. The two of them often chronicled their dating lives to each other, each finding the other a good sympathetic ear (or cheerleader when the occasion called for it).

"The only thing going for him is that he's cute and French, and the more I talk to him, the less I'm sure about the cute part. We were supposed to go out on Friday, but if that's what he's texting me when we haven't even been on _one_ date yet, I'm just gonna blow him off."

"Men are awful." Emily offered.

"True! But the queer gods made me bisexual instead of a lesbian like nature intended."

Emily laughed and shook her head, randomly glancing at the cable box under her TV and noting that it was still early afternoon. "Are you off today? I was going to call you last night with some news, but I thought you had work this morning."

"Nope. I'm on vacation at my parents for the reunion."

"Oh god," Emily sympathized. "It must be a zoo." JJ was the youngest out of three, but her mother had eleven brothers and sisters who all had children and even extended family usually went to the Jareau family reunion. Emily's family had never done anything remotely as homey as have a reunion together, so the whole thing sounded anxiety inducing to her.

"It is," JJ agreed. "But the best part about being colourblind is that no one asks me to help with decorations."

Emily laughed at that. JJ had MC-NOS too, but she knew her friend was milking the condition to not have to help out. "They're going to figure you out one of these years, you know."

"Nah, not a chance. What were you going to call me about?"

"Remember that translating contract I applied for?"

"The one at the State Department, yeah. Did you hear back from them?" JJ asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I got it!" Emily exclaimed, smiling broadly when JJ cheered. "That's not it!"

"There's more?"

"Yeah, since it's guaranteed work for a couple years, and I figure that after that, since I'd have credentials, I could do a lot of freelancing in DC..."

"Oh my god, are you moving here?" JJ squealed happily.

"Yes!" Emily answered happily. "The job doesn't start for another eight months, but I figure that's enough time to go apartment hunting and get settled. I'm going to be there in a couple days to look at places."

"Damn," JJ said disappointedly. "I'll probably still be in McKeesport or I'd help you look."

"It's okay, Derek is going to take me around and if everything goes well, I'll be moving in a couple weeks."

There was some yelling in the background on JJ's end that Emily couldn't make out. "I gotta go, Em, but I'm _so_ excited! Send me pictures of the places you're looking at!"

Emily promised she would and they said their goodbyes before hanging up. She got up from the couch with a grin and slipped her shoes on before leaving her apartment to go out for the aforethought of walk. While it was true that she was really excited for this new opportunity for work, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't relishing the chance to finally meet JJ in person. Maybe she could finally do something about the crush she'd had on her friend for the better part of two years. They flirted plenty; more than Emily usually flirted with friends actually, but it wasn't because she was really trying to, it was just a natural part of their interactions. Emily wasn't exactly sure of whether or not JJ felt romantically towards her, but she knew JJ had been burned by a long distance relationship and didn't do them anymore so Emily had never tried to pursue her seriously before. But she was willing to give it the old college try, as it were, once she moved to the area.

"I like it." Emily admitted, going down the steps of the townhouse she'd just been looking at and addressing her friend Derek Morgan. "The kitchen needs a little work though."

"I could fix it." He offered, walking next to her on the sidewalk. "I don't think it's as bad as it looks."

She had met Derek when he still lived in Chicago, in a bar of all places. He'd hit on her and then declared that she should be his wingman when she told him she was gay. They had remained close even when he moved to DC several years ago. "Do you think I should put an offer in?"

"If you want to, Princess. I like that place best, I think, but that front door? Ugly." they made it to where Derek had parked his SUV and he waited till they were both settled in their seats before he spoke again. "I'm starving, you wanna call it quits for the day and go somewhere?"

"The front door looks fine to me." She said as she nodded in response to his question.

Derek sucked his teeth and shook his head. "You're colourblind, I'm telling you as your friend that that door is _ugly_. Anyway, I'm pumped! I'm getting my wingman back!"

Emily laughed and pulled out her phone when it buzzed in her pocket. It was a text from JJ, whom she had been sending pictures of the places as they were looking at them.

 _*I love that one! It's got a breakfast nook!*_ the message read.

Emily replied: _*Derek says the front door is ugly, but I'm putting an offer in*_

 _*I can't believe the one time you're in DC and i'm stuck here dodging questions about why I haven't settled down yet =P*_

 _*Well if they take my offer on this place, you'll see me all the time. You'll be sick of me*_

 _*Sick of you? Impossible. They're going to have to pry us apart probably lol*_

"What are _you_ smilin at, Princess?" Derek teased, pulling her attention away from her phone.

"Nothing."

"Mm-hm. Who's this flavour of the week?"

"JJ's definitely not a flavour of the week. We haven't even met yet."

"Oh yeah, Scrabble hottie. You gonna take her out finally?"

"If she'll let me."

"Aunt Jenny! Aunt Jenny, watch!"

"I'm watching!" JJ promised her seven-year-old niece Ally as she jumped on the big trampoline in her parents' backyard. She clapped and cheered loudly when Ally did a flip. She was sitting at the metal picnic table situated in the shade with her brother Thomas, half-heartedly playing chess while waiting for dinner to be ready. The reunion had been the day before, but JJ and her brother always stayed an extra few days to help clean up the aftermath and spend some time with the immediate family. "Your move." she said, picking up her phone from the table as it pinged.

Smiling at seeing she had a message from Emily, she opened it to find a smiling selfie of Emily and her friend Derek along with the message _*Derek says when I move here, we have to go to his place for BBQ, he wants to meet you too!*_ JJ smiled. She was friends with Derek on social media as they started interacting on Emily's Facebook but they hadn't met each other either, both of them feeling like it would be a little weird to meet up without Emily.

 _*Can't wait!*_ JJ replied. _*Wish I was there already!*_

"What're you grinning at?" Thomas asked suspiciously, moving his bishop.

"Emily's in DC." She supplied, studying the board.

"Emily 'I might break my long distance rule' Emily?"

JJ snorted. "I only know one Emily, you ass."

"I was just checkin!" he said with a laugh. "You gonna make it back in time to see her?"

She shook her head. "No, but it's okay because she's moving to DC. Her and her friend were looking at apartments the last few days."

"Alright! Now you can ask her out without breaking your rule, right?"

"That's the idea, anyway." JJ agreed. "I'll let her get settled before I spring my feelings on her though. Maybe hang out a bit first to make sure we still have the same chemistry in person."

Thomas nodded sagely and took a drink out of the can of soda next to him. "I think you'll be okay, Jenny. You talk about her all the time and you're always talking to her on the phone."

"I do not!" JJ protested, knowing that was a lie.

"What are you kids talking about?" Their father Paul asked, stepping out of the house and walking over to the table.

"Jenny's got a girlfriend." Thomas sing-songed, laughing when she glared at him.

"You do?" her father asked confusedly, he didn't remember her telling them she was dating anyone.

"No." JJ said at the same time Thomas said, "Yes."

Paul shook his head. "Well, either way, dinner's ready so come on inside." he called to Ally on his way back into the house and the little girl climbed off the trampoline and bounded after her grandfather while JJ and Thomas put away the chess set.

"Jenny and Emily, sittin in a tree," Thomas sung quietly.

"I am going to _fight_ you." JJ promised.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G"

"Jesus, Princess, you got enough stuff?" Derek complained, handing Emily yet another heavy box so she could situate it in the back of the U-Haul. He had flown in to help her pack and do the driving at night for the eleven-hour trip to her new home in DC.

Emily wiped a light sheen of sweat off her brow and shrugged. "I got everything specifically to piss you off."

"I know you just wanna watch my muscles ripple." He said with a grin, flexing an arm.

She rolled her eyes. "How many boxes are left?"

"That's it! You ready to roll?"

Emily jumped down off the truck and pulled the door down, locking it. "Yep." She walked around to the driver's side and got in, pulling out her phone to text JJ before they left.

*We're just leaving now so I probably won't answer texts until tonight*

The reply was immediate. *Drive safe! 3*

Emily drove for the first six hours until the sun started to go down when she pulled into a restaurant so they could stretch their legs and eat before they changed drivers.

"So when are you gonna put the moves on JJ?" Derek asked as they were finishing eating.

Emily shrugged. "Beats me. Shouldn't we meet up first? Make sure we still like each other in person?"

"Aw, are you nervous?" he teased.

Emily frowned and dropped the fry she had picked up disinterestedly. "A little, actually." She admitted.

Derek nodded his thanks at the waitress as she cleared their plates and left the bill. "Really?" he sounded surprised. "That's not like you."

"I know!" she grabbed the cheque and they went to the counter to pay. "I just _really_ like her." she added as they got into the U-Haul, this time with Derek driving.

"You'll be fine!" he insisted, pulling out of the parking lot and following the signs back to the highway. "You guys are pretty much dating in all but title anyway."

Emily rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone to check the messages she missed while she was driving, ignoring them when she saw that JJ had been texting her.

* _Okay, I'm sending you this while you're driving on purpose because I'm being a wimp. Firstly, I hope your drive is going well, I can't wait to see you! In person! Which brings me to my next point. I was going to wait until you got settled in and everything first, but I honestly don't trust myself to follow through once you're here. I know we've always flirted, but I don't know if you knew how serious I was about it? Serious enough that before you told me you were moving here, I had plans to potentially make an ass of myself and come visit and take you out, but now that you'll be here, I can make an ass out of myself on my own turf I guess =P What I'm getting at here, is that I'd love to take you to dinner. Like a date? No hard feelings if the answer is no, I just figured this was the best time to try*_

"She asked me out." Emily announced giddily, her heart racing.

"Hell yeah! I _told_ you you'd be fine!"

"Yeah, yeah, you were right, don't let it go to your head."

"Oh I _absolutely_ will." Derek said with a laugh.

She ignored her friend and stared at her phone, trying to formulate something suave to say in response, only managing to come up with: _*I would really love nothing more than to go on a date with you*_

She got a response a few minutes later: _*Oh thank God. I thought a drive by text would be easiest but I've been SO anxious!*_

Emily smiled at the idea of JJ being a bundle of nerves, over her of all people. _*Dinner Friday night then? I live near a Thai food place now that we can walk to*_

 _*Sounds perfect. Be prepared to be wined and dined then 3*_

Emily sent JJ her address and suggested they meet around six, only putting her phone away when JJ replied that that worked for her. She looked out of the windshield interestedly, watching for the road signs that would tell her how far from their destination she was. Even though she couldn't really see anything beyond the headlights as her colourblindness blended everything together, she was dizzy with anticipation.

JJ fidgeted at the crosswalk, tapping the thumb of her left hand against a fingertip nervously. It would have been quicker to drive to Emily's new place, but the sun would be down by the time they got done eating. The walk signal came on and she hurried across the street. She'd never been so nervous to go on a date before. Not even the first time she dated. Part of her knew it was irrational, but she was worried Emily would feel differently about her once they were in each other's physical space. On the plus side, since Emily had MC-NOS too, this would be the first date in a long time she wasn't subjected to stupid questions about it. JJ turned onto Emily's block and started to look at the house numbers.

Finding the correct townhouse, she stood at the bottom of the stoop collecting herself before tentatively going up the steps and knocking on the door. She tried to calm her nerves by studying the door, wondering what Derek had seen about it that made it ugly. If she had to name a colour for it, it would be white or light grey, which meant that it could be yellow, or light blue, or cyan, or...the sound of the doorknob being turned interrupted her mental rambling and instead of feeling more anticipatory nerves, all the anxiety fled her.

Shelving another book, Emily glanced at her watch. Derek had helped her put all the boxes into the room they went in before he'd left and since she had slept the rest of the way to DC, Emily had spent much of the first night unpacking. She was nearly done now and probably could have left the rest for later, but she needed to do something to kill time before JJ showed up. She was resisting the temptation to look at her watch again when there was a knock on the door.

Already smiling uncontrollably, Emily put down the stack of books she had been holding and pulled open the door to reveal JJ on the other side, her eyes wide and her mouth dropped into a surprised O, a look that Emily was sure she mirrored on her face for the second she laid eyes on the other woman, the world changed. Colour. Emily had never thought she'd been missing anything with being colourblind. Sure, art class in school was a little hard, she couldn't drive at night, and she had to ask salespeople what colour clothes were before she bought them, but she didn't think it really held her back in any way. Looking at JJ now as JJ stared back at her, both of them grinning like idiots, Emily decided first that being colourblind had been the _worst_ and second that JJ looked more beautiful in colour.

"Hey, Jennifer." she said finally, her voice giddy.

"Hey, Emily." JJ returned in the same tone. They stood smiling at each other for a few moments before JJ said, "Derek was right about your door."

Emily glanced to her left and let out a loud laugh. The door, which had looked white to her, was a vibrant, shocking colour that she would come to find out was lime green. "You're never going to get out of decorating again." she pointed out, stepping out of the house and closing the door behind her, going down the steps to the sidewalk.

"Yeah," JJ agreed, chipper. She slipped her hand into Emily's as they walked down the street and gave it a squeeze. " _Totally_ worth it."

New colours surrounded Emily. Green leaves on trees, deep blue sky, a red car driving by, they were all new and beautiful, but none of it compared to the blonde by her side whom she couldn't stop looking at. "Totally worth it." Emily repeated, smiling.


End file.
